Research Article

Floristic Diversity and Distribution Pattern of Plant Communities along Altitudinal Gradient in Sangla Valley, Northwest Himalaya

Table 4

Relative densities of dominant species in various communities.

Communities Dominant elements
Trees Shrubs Herbs

Trees
Betula utilis  D. DonB.  utilis  D. Don (74.5%), P.  wallichiana  A. B. Jacks.   (19.9%), and A.  pindrow   (Royle ex D. Don) Royle (5.0%)Cassiope fastigiata (Wall.) D. Don (28.5%), Rhododendron campanulatum D. Don (17.6%), and Rosa webbiana Wall. ex Royle (9.7%)Polygonatum verticillatum (L.) All. (11.4%), Geranium wallichianum D. Don ex Sweet (5.7%), Fragaria nubicola (Hook. f.) Lindl. ex Lacaita (5.6%), and Aconogonum molle (D. Don) H. Hara (5.4%)
Cedrus  deodara   (Roxb. ex Lamb.) G. Don   C. deodara (Roxb. ex Lamb.) G. Don (80.2%), P. wallichiana A. B. Jacks. (17.4%), and A. pindrow (Royle ex D. Don) Royle (2.5%)Rabdosia  rugosa   (Wall. ex Benth.) H. Hara (31.3%), Berberis aristata (29.8%), and Cotoneaster bacillaris  Wall. ex Lindl. (7.5%)Thalictrum cultratum Wall. (11.1%), F. nubicola (7.4%), and Nepeta  erecta (Royle ex Benth.) Benth. (7.4%)
Quercus  floribunda Lindl. ex A. Camus Q. floribunda Lindl. ex A. Camus (100%)R.     rugosa   (Wall. ex Benth.) H. Hara (80.1%), Sorbaria  tomentosa   (Lindl.) Rehder (9.1%)Cannabis sativa L. (14.3%), Dysphania botrys (L.) Mosyakin & Clemants (10.9%), and Tagetes minuta L. (9.5%)
Pinus gerardiana Wall. ex D. Don Pinus gerardiana Wall. ex D. Don (57.14%), Q. floribunda Lindl. ex A. Camus (38.8%), and Olea  europaea L. (4.1%)R.     rugosa   (Wall. ex Benth.) H. Hara (55.9%), Desmodium elegans DC. (18.9%), and Artemisia maritima L. (13.2%)Conyza  sumatrensis (S. F. Blake) Pruski & G. Sancho (9.4%), C. sativa L. (6.8%), and Chenopodium album L. (5.4%)
Pinus  wallichiana A. B. Jacks.P. wallichiana A. B. Jacks. (90.9%), C. deodara (Roxb. ex Lamb.) G. Don (8.1%)Rosa  macrophylla Lindl. (17.4%), Berberis jaeschkeana C. K. Schneid. (14.4%), and Cotoneaster microphyllus Wall. ex Lindl. (12.8%)Origanum  vulgare  L. (6.1%),  Morina  longifolia  Wall. (3.6%), and  Medicago  lupulina  L. (3.3%)
B.  utilis D. Don-A.  pindrow  Royle ex D. Don) Royle mixedB. utilis D. Don (43.1%), A. pindrow (Royle ex D. Don) Royle (40.9%),andP. wallichiana A. B. Jacks. (15.9%)C. microphyllus Wall. ex Lindl. (32.5%), R. macrophylla Lindl. (22.0%), and B. jaeschkeana C. K. Schneid. (11.7%)Cynoglossum  wallichii  G. Don (23.4%), F. nubicola (Hook. f.) Lindl. ex Lacaita (18.2%), Trigonella  emodi Benth., and Lotus corniculatus L. (4.6% each)
B.  utilis D. Don-P.  wallichiana A. B. Jacks. mixedB. utilis D. Don (62.5%), P. wallichiana A. B. Jacks. (29.8%), and A. pindrow (Royle ex D. Don) Royle (4.3%)C. fastigiata (Wall.) D. Don (33.3%), Spiraea canescens D. Don (10.0%), and Rhododendron anthopogon D. Don (7.6%)Persicaria vivipara (L.) Ronse Decr. (6.8%), Delphinium cashmerianum Royle (4.5%), and Lomatogonium carinthiacum (Wulfen) Rchb. (3.5%)
C. deodara (Roxb. ex Lamb.) G. Don-Piceasmithiana (Wall.) Boiss. mixedC. deodara (Roxb. ex Lamb.) G. Don (38.3%), Picea  smithiana (Wall.) Boiss. (31.6%), P. wallichiana A. B. Jacks. (20.0%), and Juglans  regiaL. (10.3)Rubusellipticus Sm. (15.5%), B. aristata DC. (14.6%), and D. elegans DC. (13.6%)F. nubicola (Hook. f.) Lindl. ex Lacaita (16.1%), Trifolium pratense L. (5.2%), T. cultratum Wall., and Chaerophyllum villosum Wall. & DC. (3.8% each)
C.  deodara   (Roxb. ex Lamb.) G. Don-P.  wallichiana A. B. Jacks. mixedC. deodara (Roxb. ex Lamb.) G. Don (52.5%), P. wallichiana A. B. Jacks. (42.5%), and P. smithiana (Wall.) Boiss. (5.0%)B. jaeschkeana C. K. Schneid. (59.52%), S. canescens D. Don (21.4%), R. webbiana Wall. ex Royle (19.0)F. nubicola (Hook. f.) Lindl. ex Lacaita (8.2%), T. linearis Benth. (6.3%), and T. alpinus L. (5.5%)
Shrubs
Hippophae  salicifolia  D. DonHippophae  salicifolia  D. Don (58%),  Sorbaria  tomentosa   (Lindl.) Rehder (13.2%), and  Rabdosia  rugosa   (Wall. ex Benth.) H. Hara (9.4%)Fragaria  nubicola   (Hook. f.) Lindl. ex Lacaita (15.6%), Cannabis  sativa  L. (8.3%),  Polygonum  aviculare  L. (6.0%),  and  Nepeta  erecta   (Royle ex Benth.) Benth. (4.5%)
Rhododendron  anthopogon  D. DonRhododendron  anthopogon  D. Don (57.2%),  Salix  caprea  L. (28.6%), and Cotoneaster  microphyllus  Wall. ex Lindl. (14.3%)Delphinium  cashmerianum  Royle (7.2%),  Rhodiola  himalensis   (D. Don) S. H. Fu (5.7%),  Bistorta  affinis   (D. Don) Greene (5.3%),  Lactuca  macrorhiza   (Royle) Hook. f. (4.8%), and  Impatiens  thomsonii Hook. f. (4.2%)
Rhododendron  anthopogon  D. Don-Salix  calyculata  Hook. f. ex Andersson mixedRhododendron  anthopogon  D. Don (45.65%),  Salix  calyculata  Hook. f. ex Andersson (36.9%), and  Viburnum  cotinifolium  D. Don (8.7%)F. nubicola (Hook. f.) Lindl. ex Lacaita (19.5%), Bistorta affinis (D. Don) Greene (10.7%), Anaphalis triplinervis (Sims) Sims ex C. B. Clarke (6.7%),  Poa  annua  L. (6.2%),  Thalictrum  cultratum  Wall. (5.7%), and  Oxyria  digyna   (L.) Hill (5.3%)
Spiraea  canescens  D. Don-Cotoneaster  bacillaris  Wall. ex Lindl.-Berberis  jaeschkeana  C. K. Schneid. mixedSpiraea  canescens  D. Don (27.0%),  Cotoneaster  bacillaris  Wall. ex Lindl. (11.5%), and  Berberis  jaeschkeana  C. K. Schneid. (8.2%)Elsholtzia  eriostachya   (Benth.) Benth. (17.2%),  Fragaria  nubicola   (Hook. f.) Lindl. ex Lacaita (15.4%),  Euphrasia  officinalis L. (7.7%),  Origanum  vulgare  L. (7.4%),  and Impatiens  thomsonii Hook. f. (3.5%)
Spiraea  canescens  D. Don-Lonicera  hypoleuca  Decne. MixedSpiraea  canescens  D. Don. (44.4%),  Lonicera  hypoleuca  Decne (19.0%), and  Berberis  jaeschkeana  C. K. Schneid. (11.1%)Bromus  japonicus  Thunb. (10.5%),  Cuscuta  capitata  Roxb. (9.6%),  Aconogonum  molle   (D. Don) H. Hara (7.2%), and  Fragaria  nubicola   (Hook. f.) Lindl. ex Lacaita (6.3%)
Herbs
Poa  alpina  L.-Agrostis  stolonifera  L.-Bistorta  affinis   (D. Don) Greene-Aconitum  violaceum  Jacquem. ex Stapf mixed Poa  alpina  L. (25.33%),  Agrostis  stolonifera  L. (13.2%),  Bistorta  affinis   (D. Don) Greene (4.6%),  Aconitum  violaceum  Jacquem. ex Stapf (4.6%), and Heracleum  thomsonii  C. B. Clarke (4.3%)